Hannelore Hanover Handily Takes Maple Leaf Trot

Hannelore Hanover held control upon clearing the lead at the half, strolling away to a 1:51.1 victory in the $593,000 Maple Leaf Trot on a stakes-filled program at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday, September 16.

Sent off the 1-2 favourite, driver Yannick Gingras positioned Hannelore Hanover in third as Jl Cruze posted a quarter in :26.2 leading Windsun Revenge in the pocket into the backstretch. Hannelore Hanover edged first over moving to the half, getting to the pylons and to the front after a :54.3 half. Pressured by a first-over challenge from Odds On Amethyst at three-quarters in 1:23.2, Hannelore Hanover drew away by open lengths from Jl Cruze holding second, while Pastihea Face S slide up the inside to take third and Warrawee Roo rallied down the center for fourth.

Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jerry and Theresa Silva Stables and Frank Baldachino, Hannelore Hanover, a five-year-old mare by Swan For All out of the Dream Vacation mare High Sobriety, won for the 32nd time in 51 starts, surpassing $2-million in earnings with this victory. Trained by Ron Burke, she paid $3.00 to win.

"When she's like this, I don't care - I'll take on any trotters," Yannick Gingras said. "To me, once she's 100-percent, like she was tonight, she's tough to beat. [At her best] she can race any which way she wants - she'll go from the back as well as she can cut the mile. I thought she was off her game last week, but she bounced back last week and she was good, but this week she was very good."

"Last year, she raced her heart out and was second to Resolve in a great race, and for her to come back a year later and actually win it, it's real sweet," Frank Baldachino said. "Ronnie [Burke]'s got a racing stable - he likes to race horses. Our group loves to race horses, so, as of right now, we know that we're going to race her through the end of this year. Then, if she comes out healthy, sound, and happy, we'll evaluate in the off-season and see how it goes."

Ariana G cruised to a stakes, track, and Canadian record performance in the $385,000 Elegantimage, winning in 1:51.4.

The 1-9 public choice sat third as Sweet Of My Heart posted a :26.4 quarter entering the backstretch. Dream Together, getting away second, soon circled by to take the lead before the half, later to be challenged by Ariana G past that station in :55.3. Moving around the final turn, Ariana G cleared control, remaining in front after a 1:23.3 third-quarter and soon strode away from Dream Together attempting to slingshot from the pocket, chasing for second while Magic Presto finished third, and Dream Baby Dream fourth.

By Muscle Hill out of the Cantab Hall mare Cantab It All, Ariana G won her ninth race in 11 tries this season and her 18th in 22 starts overall, earning $1,641,772. Owned by breeders Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, trained by Jimmy Takter, and driven by Yannick Gingras, she paid $2.10 to win. The 1:51.4 mark beats the previous stakes record set by stablemate Shake It Cerry as well as by Check Me Out, and lowers the track record of 1:52.1 set by Bee A Magician and the Canadian record also equaled by Lifetime Pursuit.

"She can do anything [I] want her to do and she's so smart," Yannick Gingras said. "She has a high speed like the top fillies I've driven, and she's so easy to drive. I know whenever I step onto the track I can just watch how the race plays out and go from there."

"It's hard to articulate how exactly it feels [to own a filly like this]," Marvin Katz said. "It's particularly enjoyable tonight. Al [Libfeld's] here with his son, his grandsons; Sam [Goldband] is here with his wife, and my wife is here, and that's what really makes this special. As far as the filly's concerned, she's one of these fillies that comes around once in awhile and she's brilliant. I remember standing here last year when she was a two-year-old, nervous as always before a big race because we already expected she has extreme talent."

Marvin Katz, presented the 2016 Canadian Breeders of the Year Award following the race with his partner Al Libfeld, confirmed that Ariana G will return next year to race at four.

"We enjoy racing her so much, and it would be great for the sport and great for her. We'll think about Europe or something like that, but the plan right now is to just bring her back next year."

What The Hill tracked off a pocket trip before popping to a 1:51.4 lifetime-best and stakes-record effort in the $684,000 Canadian Trotting Classic.

Long Tom took the lead and was left unchallenged as What The Hill sat in the pocket. Going fractions of :27.1, :55.4, and 1:23.3, Long Tom was braced by What The Hill at the head of the stretch as he advanced to the front into the final eighth. Dover Dan slid past Long Tom to grab second, while Long Tom held third and International Moni, sent off the 2-1 favourite, edged off cover from third over to rally down the center of the track and finish fourth.

Winning his fifth race in 10 starts this season and his eighth in 24 overall, What The Hill, by Muscle Hill out of the Angus Hall mare K T Cha Cha, competes for owners Burke Racing Stable, Deo Volente Farms, and Jerry and Theresa Silva Stables. Earning $861,747, the $7.60 winner is conditioned by Ron Burke and was driven by David Miller.

"We wanted to get qualified and hopefully win the [elimination] so we could pick our post, but it worked out great," Miller said. "I was figuring I'd be following Timmy [Tetrick on Long Tom] there, and I was only hoping that nobody would move on him. Bill's Man never got to us, so I was able to sit until the head of the stretch, and my guy just exploded."

"I was flabbergasted nobody came out and let them go to three-quarters the way they did and let David get out," Jerry Silva said.

Blue Moon Stride capitalized off a second-over trip to take the $256,000 Milton Pace in a stakes-record effort of 1:48.4.

After Witch Dali blazed to the front from post 10, Wrangler Magic circled to the lead after a :26.1 opening quarter, soon yielding to 6-5 favourite Pure Country in the backstretch. Lady Shadow moved first over from fourth, progressing uncovered through a :53.3 half and drawing alongside pacesetter Pure Country at three-quarters in 1:21.1.

Blue Moon Stride fanned three wide into the stretch, rushing to the lead as L A Delight chased from off cover into second. Deeper on the track, Frost Damage Blues stormed into contention as did Darlinonthebeach, who settled for third and fourth respectively as Blue Moon Stride held off L A Delight.

A four-year-old mare by Rocknroll Hanover out of the Cams Card Shark mare Classic Star, Blue Moon Stride, owned by Emilio and Maria Rosati, won her 14th race in 43 starts, surpassing $1-million in earnings with her stakes-record clocking besting the previous mark of 1:49.4 set by Rocklamation in 2012 and 2013. Trained by Mark Harder and driven by David Miller, she paid $14.30 to win.

"That [race] didn't really go the way I thought it would," David Miller said. "I was trying to get off of there and get around [Lady Shadow], then get the lead and turn Pure Country loose. But [Lady Shadow] was getting out of there way better than I thought she would from the rail, and a couple of them had crossed over to the fence, so I went to plan 'B' and followed Yannick [Gingras and Lady Shadow], and he took me where I needed to go.

"I talked to Mark [Harder] last night at the Meadowlands and he assured me that she was coming into the race in great shape, and he was absolutely right. She's been the best one [in the division] the last three weeks pretty handily, so I'm pretty high on her."

Sent off the 1-5 favourite, Pedro Hanover launched off cover to take the first elimination of the Metro Pace in 1:51.2.

Floating into fourth approaching the first turn, Pedro Hanover tipped wide to pursue pacesetter Phil The Thrill following a :27 opening quarter, picking up cover from Declan Seelster before the half timed in :56. Phil The Thrill held control around the final turn while undergoing pressure from Declan Seelster, passing three-quarters in 1:24.2.

Both Phil The Thrill and Declan Seelster stalled in their duel through the stretch. Pedro Hanover edged towards the center of the track and grabbed the lead into the eighth pole, kicking clear of Springsteen, who weaved his way into second, and closers Odds On Lauderdale and St Lads Neptune, who finished third in a dead heat.

Owned by Brad Gray and Denise Guerriero, Pedro Hanover, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Pro Bono Best mare Paulas Best, won for the fifth time in seven starts this season, earning $260,656. Trained by Andrew Harris and driven by Andrew McCarthy, he paid $2.60 to win.

"I got very lucky [when] Tim Tetrick couldn't make it up here for the Nassagaweya, and he mentioned my name, so I got to come up and race him up here," McCarthy said. "They went [fast] enough in the first quarter, so I knew that'd take a bit of the sting out of them. As long as I was handy enough at the head of the stretch, I know he's going to kick home in 26-and-change; he can really fly."

Stay Hungry stalked a contested tempo, swooping to victory in the second Metro Pace elimination going a lifetime-best of 1:50.2.

Lost In Time launched to the lead, setting a :27.3 quarter before yielding to Summer Travel into the backstretch. Shadow Moon, on his back, then brushed to the lead passing three-eighths as Lost In Time, anxious behind the pair, tipped wide to reclaim command following a :55.2 half while wide of Shadow Moon.

Past three-quarters in 1:22.4, Shadow Moon retook a narrow lead from Lost In Time turning into the stretch, soon losing it as Lost In Time and Hayden Hanover, moving off cover, overpowered the leader. Stay Hungry, wide of Hayden Hanover, drew alongside the pair into the eighth pole, getting a neck in front of Lost In Time, who took second, and Hayden Hanover in third.

Undefeated in three starts, Stay Hungry, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Dragon Again mare My Little Dragon, has earned $75,940 for owners Brad Grant and Irwin Samelman. Trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Doug Mcnair, he paid $4.60 to win.

"This is kind of where you aim for to start a season," Mcnair said. "He's coming into the Metro final in good shape - dropped two more seconds off his previous mark and he did it pretty handily. He felt pretty good [while] they were battling up front. He's green once he clears - he hesitates a bit, but he's real smart; he knows what he's doing."

Twin B Tuffenuff pulled off a minor upset in the final Metro elimination, winning in 1:51.1 at odds of 7-1.

Settling into fourth through a :26.3 quarter, Twin B Tuffenuff moved first over towards Babes Dig Me, who circled by Trump That to take the lead into the backstretch. Following a :55.3 half, Twin B Tuffenuff crept closer into contention, matching strides with the pacesetter after a 1:23.3 third quarter and soon sweeping to the lead in the stretch. Taste Of History rallied up the rail to take second, while Nutcracker Sweet tipped off cover from second over to finish third.

Owned by Marvin Rounick, Twin B Tuffenuff, by Rock N Roll Heaven out of the Dragon Again mare In The Pink, won his first race in eight starts, earning $35,830. Trained by Steve Elliot and driven by Brett Miller, he paid $16.30 to win.

"This is a very nice colt," Brett Miller said. "As you can see on his lines, at the quarter, at the half, he's been 15 lengths off - 15 lengths off at the half and pacing unreal back halves. He has troubles steering, so I knew, if I could ever get him close from the half on, he'd be tough to beat.

"[Elliot] did change his equipment tonight - helped a little bit. But still, from the last turn to the wire, I was pulling on the right line pretty hard. If I could ever let him go straight, he'd be even faster. He's going to have to show his 'A'-game [next week]; I know he can go with those colts, but it's just a matter of getting the right trip and how he's steering."